Elemental: S2 - Day 34
Psalm 13:2 “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?”
If you have found this series difficult, I have a Bible character for you to consider.
Heard in children’s story sound bites, his life is easy. He’s a pillar of the faith chosen by God. His large family is a fulfillment of God’s promises. He is wealthy and loved and part of the lineage of Christ. But listen a little closer. Read a little deeper.
Jacob spends most of his life in second-class as second-born. God makes him promises that don’t seem to come true. He quietly hangs out with his mom in the kitchen because his dad favors his twin brother, Esau, who is boisterous, fun, and more successful at things men do.
In his forties, losing faith in God’s promises, Jacob attempts to take control of his life and wrestle his destiny from his father’s dying hands. But the plot is ill-fated. He must now run, leaving home, leaving mom, leaving everything he has known.
Confused and out of his element, Jacob dreams on the ground with a rock for a pillow. And God re-ups His promises, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” (Genesis 28:15). Jacob falls in love, works hard, and seems blessed. But he’s tricked, extorted, and marries the wrong woman. Years will pass, and he can’t go home. Jacob must be thinking, “God, where are you when I need you? Why do your promises never come true?”
Finally, excruciatingly, Jacob begins the journey home. He is sixty, wealthy, and worried about Esau’s vow to kill him when they meet. Not much of his life has gone well. It can’t feel like God has done a great job watching over him. Then, the night before the showdown with his brother, Jacob is attacked by a stranger in the darkness. And though they wrestle and wrestle and wrestle, Jacob will not let go. Somehow, he knows it is God he is trying to hold onto. This is his life, the pursuit of a God always about to slip through his fingers.
If this is how it feels for you, hear the lessons of Jacob. Sometimes things look bleak, dark, and God’s promises don’t seem true. These patches of doubt can last for years. Keep wrestling. When you feel outcast, a foreigner, taken advantage of, and abused, keep wrestling. If you’ve made mistakes, lost your way, or tried to write your own story, obliterating God’s plan for your life, keep wrestling.
“Reconstruct” and “wrestle” just might be synonyms—difficult, but worth it. So, I pray you have courage, develop trust and find a solid hold on Christ.
1. What exercise do you enjoy that always raises your heart rate?
2. Was there a time you resorted to trickery or falsehood to get what you wanted? When was that?
3. Describe a time when you felt God did not watch over you. What do you need Him to watch over now?
If you have found this series difficult, I have a Bible character for you to consider.
Heard in children’s story sound bites, his life is easy. He’s a pillar of the faith chosen by God. His large family is a fulfillment of God’s promises. He is wealthy and loved and part of the lineage of Christ. But listen a little closer. Read a little deeper.
Jacob spends most of his life in second-class as second-born. God makes him promises that don’t seem to come true. He quietly hangs out with his mom in the kitchen because his dad favors his twin brother, Esau, who is boisterous, fun, and more successful at things men do.
In his forties, losing faith in God’s promises, Jacob attempts to take control of his life and wrestle his destiny from his father’s dying hands. But the plot is ill-fated. He must now run, leaving home, leaving mom, leaving everything he has known.
Confused and out of his element, Jacob dreams on the ground with a rock for a pillow. And God re-ups His promises, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” (Genesis 28:15). Jacob falls in love, works hard, and seems blessed. But he’s tricked, extorted, and marries the wrong woman. Years will pass, and he can’t go home. Jacob must be thinking, “God, where are you when I need you? Why do your promises never come true?”
Finally, excruciatingly, Jacob begins the journey home. He is sixty, wealthy, and worried about Esau’s vow to kill him when they meet. Not much of his life has gone well. It can’t feel like God has done a great job watching over him. Then, the night before the showdown with his brother, Jacob is attacked by a stranger in the darkness. And though they wrestle and wrestle and wrestle, Jacob will not let go. Somehow, he knows it is God he is trying to hold onto. This is his life, the pursuit of a God always about to slip through his fingers.
If this is how it feels for you, hear the lessons of Jacob. Sometimes things look bleak, dark, and God’s promises don’t seem true. These patches of doubt can last for years. Keep wrestling. When you feel outcast, a foreigner, taken advantage of, and abused, keep wrestling. If you’ve made mistakes, lost your way, or tried to write your own story, obliterating God’s plan for your life, keep wrestling.
“Reconstruct” and “wrestle” just might be synonyms—difficult, but worth it. So, I pray you have courage, develop trust and find a solid hold on Christ.
1. What exercise do you enjoy that always raises your heart rate?
2. Was there a time you resorted to trickery or falsehood to get what you wanted? When was that?
3. Describe a time when you felt God did not watch over you. What do you need Him to watch over now?
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